Juan Ferreyra's new digs and Archie Moore says it straight

I didn't make explicit mention of it - simply posted an unnamed link - but boy, was I bummed out when I found out last week that Small Gods is ending with issue #12.

So you can imagine my immense pleasure in finding out that Small Gods' artist, Juan Ferreyra, is taking over art duties for Rex Mundi, another great Image book.

The mailing Mo Rhyo quotes at Millarworld is as follows:

From Arvid Nelson's Rex Mundi newsletter:

JUAN FERREYRA JOINS REX MUNDI

Juan is the artist for Image’s own Small Gods, which is sadly ending after Issue 12. Small Gods is a great comic, and I’m so sad to see it end. But it’s giving me the opportunity to work with Juan, who might just be the perfect match for Rex Mundi. Not only that, but it’s been such a pleasure getting to know him. I wish I had some more of his art to show, but for now all I can direct you towards is his front cover for Rex Mundi #16.

How spectacular is that, Dear Reader? Of all the artists I’ve worked with, Juan’s come closest to drawing the characters of Rex Mundi the way I see them in my mind’s eye. Juan’s draftsmanship is impeccable, and he has a real knack for picking up on the subtleties of character. He’s going to take this book to a whole new level.

Thanks to Jim for suggesting Juan, and for helping me enlist him. Jim, you are the best, your unique, quirky style is beyond compare. I am so glad to have had the chance to work with you, and I’m just as glad to have become your friend.

(Thanks, Mo!)



So, this is pretty damn great news. Rex Mundi has been a really fun series, and while I loved Eric J's work on the title (see my pimpin' of his work back in August), I think Juan Ferreyra's one of those up-and-comers whose work is not only really great now but also has shown consistent development and improvement over the short Small Gods run.

Which means, to me, that he'll only be getting even better throughout his run on Rex Mundi.

Which, fortunately, is a series I already liked. Rex Mundi has been a great mish-mash of genres, an alternate history period piece with some heavy, heavy film noir influence and a big conspiracy/mystery tale, including religious mythology and horror. Densely packed reading with some really fun characters. I'll have to play a little bit of catch-up, because I've been reading the book in trades. But I'm nonetheless really excited to see that this phoenix is rising from the ashes.

***

Last night I was reading through George Plimpton's boxing book, Shadow Box, which is partially about the time Sports Illustrated (for whom he was writing) sponsored a three-round exhibition match between Plimpton and the great Archie Moore.



Archie Moore, you'll no doubt remember, was the light heavyweight champion of the world and among the very greatest boxers in professional history. He holds the record for most career knockouts - 141, or 143, depending on your sources - and was the only fighter to box both Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. He could easily have been the heavyweight champion of the world, having been a top-ranked contender for years, but was passed over for a shot until he was 42 years old. When he got that shot, against a decade-younger Marciano, he certainly made the most of it, becoming one of only two or three men to ever knock down the Brockton Blockbuster and the last man to fight him in the ring.



Moore was also known as a very exciting public personality, a flowery and enthusiastic speaker. Something of a precursor to Ali, in that way. And there's a bit from this Shadow Box book I liked a lot:

I once asked Moore how long it would have taken him to dispose of me had he been required to do so in jig-time. He looked at me speculatively. "'Bout the time it would take a tree to fall on you," he said. "Or for you to feel the nip of the guillotine."
"Very descriptive," I said.
"And very accurate," he said. "You must remember that I am the most of champions."